CARTHAGE, Mo. – The Hall of Carthage Heroes Oversight Committee is pleased to announce the election of four Carthage Heroes, one a double inductee, to the Class of 2021.
Founded in 2012, the Hall of Carthage Heroes, located inside the Fair Acres Family YMCA, is the fulfillment of a dream of Marvin VanGilder and others to recognize and honor Carthaginians whose lives or accomplishments have brought credit and recognition to Carthage, and who are worthy of emulation by today’s citizens. It honors heroes past and present, citizens of distinction, as well as outstanding athletes and teams.
The Class of 2021 was chosen by an independent selection committee of five people, representing various Carthage civic organizations, from nominations submitted by the general public.
These heroes join 86 other Carthaginians inducted to the Hall since 2012.
The Heroes of the Class of 2021 are:
WILLIAM CHASE PUTNAM, JR., Businessman, Philanthropist & Carthage Historian – Bill served as President of Tapjac Company, a family-owned building materials and land development company, as well as a Director at banks in Mt. Vernon, Aurora and Carthage. He and wife Cindy also own and operate The Professional Building. Bill’s whole life has been one of service to Carthage. He served as President of the Board of Public Works and has served on the Carthage City Council. Bill was co-chairman of the capital campaign to build the Fair Acres Family YMCA. He helped found Carthage Community Foundation, serving as board member and volunteer director for many years, and continues to be a leading advocate for legacy giving to support Carthage. He has served as President of Carthage Area United Way and the Missouri Southern State University Board of Regents. He is active in Grace Episcopal Church, serving on the vestry and as senior warden. Bill is a Board Member for the Steadley Memorial Trust, and in 1996 he received the Richard M. Webster Citizen of the Year Award from the Carthage Chamber. He’s also been honored by the Boy Scouts with the Silver Beaver Award for service and named Outstanding Eagle Scout by the National Eagle Scout Association. Bill has been an active member of Carthage Rotary Club since 1973. Bill’s family came to Carthage in 1868, and he takes pride in our community and its history. He helped form the Hall of Carthage and regularly researches Carthaginians who helped build, grow, and contribute to our community, nominating them for the Hall so their achievements are not lost, and to
inspire future generations. Bill wrote a book called The Steadley Legacy, highlighting the family who left an amazing charitable trust to support our community for many generations to come.
ROBERT W. STANFIELD, SR., Music Man – After serving his country during WWII as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army, surviving of the sinking of the SS Leopoldville and earning a Purple Heart, Robert began a career as a teacher, band director, counselor and performer. Mr. Stanfield came to Carthage in 1962 as a band teacher and director at the Carthage Jr. High and then Carthage High School. He set out to grow Carthage’s band program, recruiting student musicians, establishing Band as a serious Music Education class, setting high standards for students, offering private lessons, and adding the Carthage Cabaliers Jazz Orchestra at CHS. Mr. Stanfield helped raise funds and created new opportunities for students through Band, his students traveling to festivals and competitions, as well as classical music and theatre performances on trips to Kansas City and St. Louis, He encouraged students to enter state competitions and work for college scholarships in music. Under his guidance, Carthage’s music education program gained a reputation as one of the finest in the state and the Band was recognized in 1969-1970 as the best 6-point program in the four-state region. Thanks to Mr. Stanfield’s commitment to music education, excellence and hard work, the Band program at CHS is still a point of pride today. Mr. Stanfield also left another amazing legacy for Carthage that remains to this day. He developed an idea for the first invitational band competition in the area and in 1966 the Four-State Marching Band Festival began, later known as the Maple Leaf Parade and Festival and a 55+ year beloved tradition in our community. Mr. Stanfield was named Grand Marshall of the Maple Leaf Parade in 1992 and he attended every Maple Leaf Marching Band Festival from its inception until his death.
VINCENT ALLEN TRIPPLETT, Youth Sports Champion & Coach – Vince attended Eugene Field School, Carthage Jr. High and Carthage High School. His passion for sports began playing basketball with friends in Carter Park as a child, continued through his own involvement in youth sports, jr. high and high school basketball and baseball, which lead to long career in youth coaching. Vince began his coaching career in 1985 with boys’ basketball at the Carthage YMCA. He also started refereeing. From 1986 – 2000, he continued to coach youth boys’ sports in Carthage, predominately basketball, T-ball and baseball. He also often served as an announcer for the adult softball leagues. When Vince’s twin daughters Talia and Whitney began playing sports in 1996, he continued to coach boys’ baseball and added girls’ softball and basketball to his coaching roster. Hooked on his twins and their sports, Vince focused on his daughters’ competition teams from 2000 until 2010. With his daughters’ high school graduations, he began coaching their successful Missouri Smash team. For more than 20 years, Vince was a champion of youth softball. He spent most nights, weekends and summers running softball games at the Carthage Sports Complex. Vince coached and inspired many young athletes, always sharing his joy of playing sports and his belief that building character was more important than winning. His drive to better our community’s youth through sports will long be remembered. From 2002 – 2017, Vince served the Carthage sports community as the Treasurer, Vice President and then President of the Carthage Sports Complex, later known as the Fair Acres Sports Complex. The Vince Triplett Memorial Softball Tournament is held annually in his memory.
GREGORY WARREN KYTE, Multi-Sport Athlete –Greg’s love of sports and excellence in athletics started as a young boy playing youth baseball alongside his brothers and under the coaching of his father. As a Little Leaguer, he played on two Missouri Little League State Championship Teams in 1970 and 1971. Greg was a standout three-sport athlete at Carthage High School, lettering in Football, Basketball, and Baseball. His Class of 1977 won Big 13 Conference Championships in all 3 sports. He served as a Board Member of the Carthage R9 Foundation for 9 years and co-founded the Carthage Tiger Alumni Football Game. He received the Do The Right Thing Award from the Carthage R9 School Board for his service to the R9 Foundation. Greg also served as President of the Carthage High School Booster Club. Greg played Men’s Major League Softball for 8 years with DJ Sports and the St. Louis Merchants. He earned All American Honors at the 1990 NSA World Series. Greg also took up golfing later in life and was a member of the Long Drivers of America for 8 years, winning regional golf championships in St. Louis, Mansfield, OH, and Springdale, AR. He was ranked in the Top 25 in the world in the Senior Division for 6 years. Greg’s best finish was 6th in the 2005 World Finals in Mesquite, NV. Greg coached Little League Baseball and PeeWee Football for many years, serving as President of the Carthage PeeWee Football Organization. He was a Powerlifting Coach and Referee for 10 years, coaching two National Powerlifting Champions, including his son Craig. Greg served as a MSHSAA Football Official for 17 years, proudly working the 2007 and 2012 Missouri State Finals, and currently serves as a Football Observer for MSHSAA.
WILLIAM CHASE PUTNAM, JR., Swimming – Bill began competitive swimming at summer camp, winning the mile and becoming hooked on the sport. While attending Mercersburg Academy in 1960, he swam the 100-yard free in 58.9 seconds and the 50-yard free in 25.6 seconds, closely matching the Missouri state high school championship times of 58.9 and 25.4 respectively. Next year, Bill was selected for Mercersburg’s 200-yard free relay and the team had the 9th fastest time in the nation (1:36.4) and was selected All-American. He also placed 8th in the 100-yard free at the Eastern Interscholastic Swim Championship (55.0). As a freshman at Beloit College, Bill set 13 school records in 6 events and 2 Freshman Midwest Conference records. During his varsity career, he set 23 school or pool records and 1 Midwest Conference record. Upon graduation, he was the only swimmer in Midwest Conference history to have been champion in 4 different individual events. Bill competed in 106 collegiate races, finishing 1st 90 times and 2nd 10 times. In 4 years, he had a record of 63-0 in conference dual meets. Bill placed 3rd at the NCAA Small College Regional Meet in 1963, qualified for the NCAA Small College National Meet in 1965, and was the High Point Swimmer at the Midwest Conference Meet for 3 years. Bill was named to the Beloit College Athletic Hall of Honor. Bill came out of “retirement” in 2018 to compete in the Missouri Senior Games. In the 75-79 age group, he placed 1st in the 100-yard free, as well as 3rd in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races. He qualified for the National Senior Games in 2019 but an injury kept him out. Bill returned to the Missouri Senior Games in 2021, placing 1st in the 50, 100, and 200, qualifying him for Senior Nationals in 2022.
For the full biographies and photos of this year’s inductees, as well as information on nominating someone for the Class of 2022, visit the Hall website at hallofcarthageheroes.org.
The installation ceremony for this year’s class will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, November 13, 2021, at the Fair Acres Family YMCA. Family, friends, past recipients, community members and media are all invited to attend. We hope to see you there!
About Hall of Carthage Heroes
Established in 2012, Hall of Carthage Heroes is a distinctive honor for citizens of Carthage, Missouri who have exhibited the highest qualities, in both their professional and personal lives, in the betterment of Carthage and our country. The Hall has two divisions, one to recognize pioneers & citizens of distinction, the other to honor outstanding athletes. New nominations are accepted each year and an anonymous committee made of citizens from various Carthage civic groups selects the class of honorees. Learn more at hallofcarthageheroes.org and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/hallofcarthageheroes. Gifts to support Hall of Carthage Heroes are appreciated and may be made at Carthage Community Foundation.
